Counting or registering apparatus



Nov. 25, 1941. 0. v so 2,264,079

COUNTING OR REGISTERING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l l/V VE N TOR OL/ VER V/C TOR H/LSUN ATTORNEY NOV. 25, 1941. I O v HlLSON 2,264,079

COUNTING OR REGISTERING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 {8 /4 Cliver Victor Hi lson l 1 BY I I W I A 7'TOFiNEY- Patented Nov. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 9, 1939, "Serial No. 289,208 In Great Britain September 5, 1938 5 Claims.

directions and transfer mechanism between said digit wheels or the like.

The invention is more particularly concerned with such transfer mechanism and aims at providing improved mechanism of simple construction which is reliable in action.

One object of the invention is to provide a transfer mechanism which incorporates 'a locator to retain said digit wheels, discs, or the like in their set positions while allowing them to be adjusted when required and which locator can be used if desired to prevent rotation of the digit wheel, disc or the like in one direction or the other.

Another object is to facilitate the transfer by rendering the said heater inoperative during the transfer.

A further object is to provide transfer mechanism in which during the transfer there is no danger of the wheel, disc or the like on which the transfer is effected, moving more than one step forward.

In accordance with the present invention transfer mechanism for counting or registering apparatus of the type referred to comprises a pivoted member to which the transfer motion is applied from a preceding digit wheel or the like and which is adapted to effect the desired transfer and a heater member, movable relatively to the aforesaid pivoted member, but adapted to co-operate with an abutment on the latter whereby the lo'cator member is free to cooperate with locating elements on the digit Wheel, disc or the like during rotation of the latter for setting purposes, but is drawn away from the path of said locating elements during the transfer.

In the preferred construction the locator member is pivoted to the same pivot as the pivoted member and a spring co-operates with the former to hold it normally in contact with the said abutment. The operative end of 'the locator member may embody flanged edges, of V form in plan, which engage a series of projections on the digit wheel or disc and by suitably modifying such flanged edges the digit wheel or disc can be prevented from rotation in one direction or the other.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the features of this invention as applied to a scoring indicator such as is described in the specification of British Patent No. 440,857, although the features described and claimed herein are not restricted in their scope to the scoring indicator as shown.

Fig. 1 is a general plan of a score indicator embodying the features of the invention. 7

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the operation of the transfer mechanism, the discs 3, 4 and 5 being shown in phantom that the several pins depending therefrom and the parts below the discs may be seen in full lines.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the elements of the transfer mechanism.

Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of the element shown in perspective in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 shows the position of the various elements of the transfer mechanism shown in Fig. 2 during completion of the transfer motion,

In the score indicator shown a casing I is divided into two identical sections which may be entirely separate if desired. Located behind the front of each section of the casing are three digit discs 3, 4 and 5, the disc 4 underlapping the other discs so that numerals on said discs align in front of a sight opening 6 to show a three figure number. The discs 3 and 5 embody ten equally spaced finger holes 1 positioned inside circular apertures 8 in the front of the casing. Suitable numerals are inscribed on a fixed surface such as a base plate and are visible through such 'finger holes 1 and a finger stop 9 in each of the apertures B limits the movement of the discs. The 'disc 4 is operated by a separate disc l0 above the face of the casing l and also provided with in a clockwise direction, the disc 4, by reason of the double gears I I, will be rotated in an anticlockwise direction.

Transfer mechanism is provided between the discs -3 and 4 and between discs 4 and 5 and such mechanism incorporates locator mean for discs 4 and 5, serving to retain them in the set positions with the numerals in correct alignment. The transfer and locator mechanism in association with disc 4 will first be considered. As shown on Fig. 2, a member I3 is pivoted to the base board, and incorporates an upwardly projecting portion 14 adapted to be engaged during the transfer operationby a depending 65 projection 15 on the disc 3, which is rotated in a clockwise direction. The disc 4 is provided with a series of equally spaced depending projections I6 adapted to be engaged by a stepped up V shaped portion I3b at the extremity of the member I3. During the transfer the projection I5 engages part I4 and step I3c of the stepped up portion I3b engages one of the projections I6 and rotates the disc 4 in an anticlockwise direction. At the same time the V shaped portion I3b, by reason of it being engaged by a pair of projections I6, prevents excess movement of the disc 4.

A locator member I! is mounted on the same pivot as the member I3 and engages a stop I8 'on the latter, and against which it is pressed by means of a spring I9. The'operative-end of the locator member I! is flanged as indicated at in the form of a V with arms of unequal length, one of the projections I6 being adapted to engage the apex of said V for location purposes. With the construction shown on the drawing the disc 4 is free to rotate anti-clockwise since as the engaged projection I6 moves along the longer arm of the V, the extremity of the shorter arm passes beyond the following projection I6 and then engages thereon, so that the disc is located in its next position. If, however, an attempt is made to rotate thedisc 4 clockwise, due to the disposition and length of the shorter arm, the longer armafter initial movement of the disc is engaged on the opposite face by the followingprojection I6, and further movement is prevented.

During the transfer of the digits from disc 3 to disc 4, the displacement of the member I3, by reason of the abutment I8, draws the locator member I! out of the locus of the projections, so that said disc is freed and rotation thereof facilitatedl Furthermore, after the transfer,

when the parts I3 and I1 return to their normal position the V shaped portion 26 of the locator IIserves to engage the following projection I6 and ensure the movement of the disc 4 to its .next position, thus forming a transfer mechanism, which is reliable in operation and at the same time smoothin operation. The two positions of the transfer mechanism are represented on the drawings, the second position being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 shows a slightly different form of transfer mechanism between the discs 4 and 5; in this case the member I3a is generally similar in its function to the member I3 already described, but embodies an oblique flanged end face 2I adapted to engage one of the seriesof projections 22 on the lower face of disc 5, and serves .to move said disc forward without positively disc 4 engaging a suitable part I4a on the lever Any suitable means may be utilised for locating the disc 3 in the desired positions, and such means can be uni-directional in character if desired. As shown, however, a star wheel 24 on .the spindle is subjected to the action of a spring loaded lever 25 in such manner that the disc 3 can rotate in either direction. The leverage of the two levers I3 and I3a is of course so proportionedthat when transfer is to be effected simultaneously between the wheels 3 and 4 and the wheels 4 and 5 a suflicient degree of movement is available to effect the transfer satisfactorily between the wheel 4 and 5.

Fig. 5 shows'the relative disposition of the transfer members I3 and I3a and the locator elements I1 and IIa at the point when the transfer motion is almost completed. The projection I5 has rotated the member I3 in an anticlockwise direction so as to advance the V shaped member I3b in between a pair of projections I6 and in so doing has driven one of the projections I6 forward in an anticlockwise direction to rotate the disc 4. At the same time the locator member I! has been lifted out of engagement with the projection I6 by the abutment I8 on the member I3 to allow the pin I6 to pass. On

further movement of the projection I5 the mempins 22 and to drive the flanged face 2| against a pin 22 and to advance it so that a following pin will be advanced in front of the flanged V locating end of the locator member IIa. On the release of the flanged portions I4a by the projection 23, the locator member IIa and the member I3a will be returned to their original positions, the locator member I Ia locating afresh pin within its V shaped end portion.

As explained above the transfer mechanism described hereinis not limited in scope to the scoring indicator represented and described in detail as it may be used in a variety of applications within the scope of the present invention.

It will of course be appreciated that according to the placement of the indicator numbering as specifically shown heretofore, the discs 3, 4 and 5 are arranged for adding from zero by exhibiting indicator numbers from 1 to 9 through the finger holes I consecutively in opposite order to the direction of rotation of the discs, but

those indicator numbers may be otherwise arranged if desired in other embodiments of the invention and for different mathematical calculations. I

As shown on the drawings the disc -4 i conveniently supported by means of a bridge piece 26 which serves also as a support for the dial III and for the associated gear wheels II.

Obviously the invention is not restricted to an apparatus having three digit discs nor to discs having ten finger holes. Furthermore, the three discs may be arranged side by side and not in overlapping relation in which case separate sight apertures would be provided for the numerals on each disc.

I claim: 1. An apparatus of the character described having a plurality of rotatable numbered discs,

transfer mechanism forimparting motion 'to'one numbered disc from a preceding disc comprising a pivoted transfer member to which the transfer motion i applied from the preceding disc, means on said preceding disc to engage and oscillate said transfer member about its pivot at predetermined intervals of rotation of said preceding disc, an engaging face on said transfer member adapted on actuation to engage and rotate through a desired angle the disc receiving the transfer motion, a locator member movable relatively to said transfer member, locating elements on said disc receiving the transfer motion and normally engaged by said locator member during rotation of said disc for setting purposes, and an abutment on said transfer member adapted to engage said locator member during the transfer motion to draw it away from the path of the locating elements.

2. Transfer mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the locator member is pivoted on a. common axis of oscillation with said pivoted member and is subjected to the action of a spring tending to engage the locator member against the said locating elements.

3. Transfer mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the locator member embodies an operative end having flanged portions of V form to engage depending locator elements on the disc, said flanged portions being proportioned to P rmit forward motion of the disc by force applied by the operator.

4. Transfer mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the pivoted member embodies an inclined surface adapted to engage depending l0- cator elements on the disc to effect the transfer.

5. Transfer mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the pivoted member embodies an inclined surface which forms part of a V member which engages between adjacent projections to hold the disc rigidly during the transfer and prevent excess movement of said disc.

OLIVER VICTOR HIISON. 

